Container



April 20, 1943. H. F. WATERS 2,316,919

CONTAINER Filed July 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y mvENToR. Hfl/PRY E WHT/FRS ATTORNEY April 20, 1943. H. F. WATERS CONTAINER Filed July 5, 1940 3 SheeTls-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR.

HHYFWHTES HTTOR N EY -Aprl 20, 1943. H. F. WATERS CONTAINER Filed July 5, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Lf 5/ A 0, 5 3 l 2 o 2 PateniedApr. 2o, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 2,316,919 CONTAINER Harry F. Waters, New York, N. Y. Application July 5, 1940, Serial No. 343,926

Claims.

The present invention relates to containers, and, more particularly, to containers of the type constituted of an outer carton having an inner fluid-tight liner therein and to a method of packaging and hermetically sealing commodities in containers of the described character.

In my copening application Serial No. 329,254, filed April 12, 1940, I have disclosed a container particularly for packaging commodities in a hermetically sealed condition which comprises a flat folded carton having folding lines defining two pairs of opposed panels and an inner fluid-tight liner fastened so as to move with said pairs of opposed panels whereby when the carton is erected, it results in a rectangular-shaped and duid-tight, lined container. In the said copending application I have also disclosed a method of providing the top opening of the inner liner with a completely ilat hermetic seal. This method included folding down the top portions of the liner into a substantially horizontal position and in the direction determined by the lateral fin or fins of the liner and thereafter applying heat and pressure to a transverse strip extending across the attened mouth portions of the liner whereby a completely fluid-tight and permanently leakage-proof seal is obtained. The present invention relates to improvements on containers of the general type disclosed in said application and is also concerned with an improved meth of bringing the upper terminal or mouth portions of the liner into the desired flattened face to face relationship preliminary to applying the top seal.

1t is an object of the present invention to provide a container of novel character including an outer carton and an inner envelope, special means being incorporatedinto the carton to obtain interlocking and cooperation between predetermined regions of the carton and of the liner whereby by displacing certain portions of the carton, other corresponding portions of the liner will be brought into a position necessary for carrying out the nal sealing operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container of novel and improved character comprising an outer carton with closing flaps at each end and an inner bag or envelope within said carton having at least one lateral fin, a suitable guide member, or finger, being incorporated into certain of the closing flaps of the carton to bring the mouth portions of the envelope into a single plane and into face to face relationship by displacing said flaps into predetermined positions. It is a further object of to provide a container in flat folded form having guide members of special character incorporated into the top end flaps thereof, said members being adapted to slidably engage the upper terminal portions of lateral fins of the inner envelope associated with the outer carton to bring the mouth portions of the envelope into fiat sealing position simply by displacing said flaps into opposite directions.

It is also Within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a method of packaging involving displacement of the top mouth portions of the inner envelope in a uid-tight container of the described character into a position wherein a completely flat seal may be applied thereto.

The invention also contemplates a container for fluid-tightly packaging commodities which is simple in construction and to use and which after filling may be provided with a completely fiat hermetic seal free from reentrant folds and intervening layers in the sealing region, by means of a few simple operations.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a carton blank employed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 depicts a similar view of the carton blank shown in Fig. 1 having a liner attached thereto;

Fig. 3 shows the carton and the liner of Figs. 1 and 2 folded about a transverse medial line and having two parallel seals applied thereto;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the carton and liner during a later stage of its manufacture in which the end panels are adhesively secured to glue naps of the front panel;

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective tainer embodying the invention squared up condition;

Fig. 6 depicts a similar view showing the mouth portions of the inner envelope partially brought together by displacing the top end flaps of the view of the conin its erected or 5 carton in opposite directions;

the present invention Fig. 'l shows a vertical sectional view taken on line 1.--1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the container with its end aps brought into a substantially horizontal position and with the mouth portions of the liner brought into a flat face to face relationship in the plane bounded by the upper edges of the main body of the carton;

Fig. 9 illustrates a similar view of the container with the iiattened mouth portions bent up,

preliminary to applying a transverse top seal thereto; and

Figa-10 is a group of diagrammatic `views showing the top portions of the container during successive stages of the closing and sealing manipulations. y

Broadly stated, according to the principles of f my invention, I provide a container in flat folded form capable of being erected. This container comprises an outer at each end and an inner bag or envelope within extensions or fins in both sides thereof as I have disclosed in my copending application hereinbefore referred to and also in my copending applications Serial Numbers 338,709 and 331,447. In order to provide a hefmetic seal of the inner envelope it is critically important to carefully avoid intervening or doubled-up layers, reentrant folds and similar danger points of leakage in the sealing region. In my copending applications, I have not only carefully explained the conditions which are necessary for obtaining a completely and permanently fluid-tight seal, but I also have shown various ways of obtaining a seal of the desired character. Thus, I have disclosed that in the presence of lateral iins in the sealing regions, it is necessary to fold down the terminal portions of the envelope into the direction in which the said lateral ilns extend. 'I'his operation permits to bring the flattened mouth portions of the envelope, including the top portions of the lateral fins, into a single plane so that a completely flat transverse seal may be applied thereto. In the seam thus formed only two layers of material, are placed into a face to face relationship throughout the full extension of the sealing region.

I have now found that this displacement of the top portions of the envelope may be obtained in an extremely suitable guide members or ilngers into the top portions of the carton. For example, such guide members, or fingers, may be incorporated or secured to the top flaps of the carton adjoining the lateral ns of the envelope. Generally speaking, I prefer to employ guide fingers or members constitutedof a piece of strong sheet material. such as cardboard, which are connectedto the top flaps of the end panels and engage the top portions of the lateral fins. Although this engagement or cooperation may be in the form of a rigid connection, I prefer such construction and arrangement of the guide fingers that they provide a channel into which the top portions of the lateral fins extend and are capable of sliding displacement therein. The guide fingers are preferably integrally formed with the other portions of the carton and, for example, may be constituted of integral extensions of the glue aps of one of the panels.l Oi.' course, wide variations are possible in the arrangement and in the construction of the guide fingers. It is to be observed, however, that in all cases it' is necessary to provide interlocking and restricted cooperation between a pair of flaps of the carton and the lateral ins of the envelope so that by displacing such flaps into opposite directions the engagedv portions of the fins. and thereby the mouth portions of the container, are tensioned and are gradually brought into a flattened face to face position, as this will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described. Fig. 1 illustrates a carton carton having closing aps simple manner by incorporating going to form the inner blank l having longitudinal score unes' z, s, I and 5 and transverse score lines I, 1, t and 8 pro- It will be noted that this blank is similar to a carton and liner construction disclosed in my copending application No. 255,030, filed Feb. 7,

may be omitted if desired.

The first step in preparing my novel container structure is adhesively securing a liner 32 to carton blank I by means of adhesive lines Il. As it will be noted in Fig. 2, this liner extends longitudinally from one end of the carton blank to the other end thereof and laterally at least and 2l of end panels This liner is of a iluidcharacter on at least which subsequently is surface of the liner. Thus, for example, the liner may be constituted of a Huid-tight and fusible material sold under the name of Pliolm or may be constituted of vinyl resins, and the like. In most cases, however, I prefer to employ a ilexible sheet of paper, or similar non-fusible material, having a layer or film of such heat-scalable material laminated or coated thereto. After the liner has been secured to the carton. carton and liner are simultaneously folded about foldllneZI to bring main panels III and II into a superposed registering position. In this condition of the liner depictedl in Fig. 3, main panel panels I2 and Il are at the bottom and have liner 32 folded about transverse medial line 2| I 2 and I3, respectively. tight and heat sealable the upper surface thereof and 3l of the glue naps 24 be applied to means o! adhesive lines 36 and 31. vThis operation results in the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows a container in fiat folded form adapted to be squared up and to be filled at the top end thereof. It is worth noting that when folding the end panels about their medial lines 22 and 23, this operation will at the same time fold sealed marginal strips 34 and 35 about the same lines. Thus, the sealing regions will be placed beyond a fold line where they are protected by the fold against being separated by internal pressure possible developing during the operation of the container and it is in this condition that the container is shipped and stored preliminary to its ultimate use.

When it is desired to use the container of the invention and to fill it with contents to behermetically sealed therein, the folded and fiat carton ls squared up or erected, giving the structure shown in Fig. 5. In this erected position of the carton the original six-sided carton is converted into a four-sided box and the heat sealed lateral regions of the envelope 34 and 35 are converted into lateral ns denoted by the same reference characters in Fig. 5 and extending in the plane of end panels I2 and I3. Due to the fact that when adhesively securing glue flaps 24 and 25 to end panels I2 and I3 also a strip of extensions 26 and 21 has been adhesively secured by adhesive lines 36 and 31 to the corresponding and contacting portions of end panel top flaps i6 and I8, in the erected position of the container structure these extensions will protrude in between ns 34 and 35 and the corresponding end walls of the envelope. It is to be observed that this protruding portion of the extensions is not adhered to the interspace of fins -and envelope but is capable of slight relative displacement. In this erected position, the container is filled with the contents by any suitable filling device.

The provision of extensions 26 and 21 has the object of providing a certain cooperation between the displacement of top end flaps I6 and I8 with the top portions of the envelope protruding beyond the hinge lines of the main panels of the carton. When displacing these top flaps into opposite directions, the mouth portions of the envelope will be iiattened into a face to face relationship in the plane defined by the upper hinge lines of the carton. This is accomplished by edges 28 of extensions 26 and 21 which extend into the interspace between the fins and the envelope proper and slideably engage the fins imparting a spreading displacement to the mouth portions of the envelope while edges 29 cause folding of these iiattened portions into the plane bounded by the upper edges of the main body of the carton. This operation of extensions or guide members 26 and 21 will be best understood from Figs. 6 and 7 showing the carton and the liner in an intermediate condition in which top flaps I6 and I8 are already displaced from their vertical position shown in Fig. 5 but did not arrive as yet into their completely spread out or horizontal position shown in Fig. 8. As it Will be observed in Fig. 6, longitudinal edges 28 of the guide members engage the upper portions of iins 34 and 35. Folding flaps I6 and I8 into opposite directions will stretch the mouth portions of the liner and bring the sides of the top or filling opening into a face to face relationship. At the same time folding edge 29 of the guide members, which is at an appropriate angle to edges 28, for example at 45, will engage a portion of the envelope across the fins and will gradually force the mouth portions of the envelope into a single plane to wit: into the plane bounded by the upper edges of the main body of the-carton. Thus, displacement of the top end flaps will automatically displace the mouth portions of the liner or envelope into a single plane wherein a completely flat heat seal may be applied thereto. In this condition, the mouth portions of the envelope are completely flattened and brought into a single plane, including the lateral fins which originally were extending in a plane which was vertical to the plane bounded by the top edges of the container. This operation completely eliminates any intervening or double-up layers from the sealing region so that a positively leaky-proof and permanently hermetic seal may -be obtained. A completely flat and fluid-tight transverse top seal 38 may be applied to the envelope already in this condition of the container illustrated in Fig. 8. In most cases it is preferred, however, to bring the mouth portions int-o an upwardly directed position in which it is more readily accessible to a heat sealing device. This is accomplished by folding the attened mouth portions of the envelope about a line 39, which is remote from center line 40 of the package, into an upwardly directed position in which it may be readily sealed by the application of heat and pressure to a transverse strip 38 thereof. Hereafter, the sealed portion thus obtained may be folded down fiat and the top of the `container may be closed by folding flaps i4 and I5 and flaps I6 and I8 thereabout.

To further facilitate the understanding of my novel guide members and to explain their operation in automatically bringing the mouth portions of the envelope into the preferred sealing position, reference may be had to Fig. 10 illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the top portions of the envelope and their cooperation with the top end flaps and guidefmembers during the various stages of operation. Fig. 10A shows the top portion of the container when the carton is erected or squared up. In this position, guide members 28 and 21 extend underneath ns 3l and 35. In this erected condition of the container, the envelope may be filled with the contents by means of any conventional filling device. After this has been accomplished, top end flaps I6 and I8 are gradually folded into opposite directions (Fig. 10B). Of course, this operation may be carried out manually but in most cases an automatic machine of suitable character is employed. In fact, since most modern conventional packaging and filling machines are equipped with devices for turning the flaps of the carton in a predetermined direction and in a certain sequence, this operation may be carried out by means of conventional machinery with little or no change in construction or adjustment. Continuing the displacement of top flaps I6 and I8, the condition shown in Fig. 10C is arrived at which corresponds to the showing of Fig. 8 and illustrates the mouth portions of the lled envelope completely flattened into a face to face position and in the plane defined by the top hinge lines of the carton. Application of a. transverse top seal of completely at character may be accomplished in this condition of the envelope. or if desired, the ltop mouth portions first may be folded upwards, as shown in Fig. 10D, and the transverse top seal 38 may be applied i`n this condition in which the region to be heat-sealed is more readily accessible to a heat sealing device. Hereafter, the heat sealed region be folded down `hinge lines of the carton (Fig.

provides a novel container method capable of fiat into the plane of the 10E) and then flaps IB and Il of the end panels and flaps Il and I of the main panels may be'closed thereabout. This will result in the top structure appearing in Fig-F in which the greater part of the top naps has been broken away in order to make the appearance of the top portions of the envelope visible.

It will be noted that the present invention structure having means in the form of guide members or guide lingers incorporated therein.

These guide members establish a cooperation between displacement of certain of the top flaps and of the mouth portions of the envelope and bring such portions into the desired and preo position which is lnecessary ferred face to face for obtaining a completely flat and permanently fluid-tight seal. It is also to be observed that the advantages oi'V ment thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle of the present invention.

Thus, while I have explained and illustrated my invention in connection with a container in which the outer carton and the inner receptacle are formed by simultaneous manipulations and in which the envelope is constituted of an integral sheet .folded along a transverse line, my invention is also applicable with equal or similar results to containers of the type in which an inner liner is folded along a longitudinal medlal'line or to containers of the type wherein a previously formed tubular linerl is fastened to a carton having at least four panels. Likewise, while I have shown the guidemembers formed as extensions oi'A glue flaps 24 and 25, they may be provided in some other appropriate portion of the carton blank or even may be preformed separate pieces of suitable material, which are subsequently glued or stapled to a pair of oppositely positioned flaps. I consider all of these variations and modifications as within the true spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A at folded carton having at least four parallel fold lines which define a pair of vopposed main-panels and a pair of opposed end panels, the said end panels comprising inner and outer panel sections, the outer overlying the inner andsecured thereto at the free edge of the outer, defining with the inner panel section a free space or pocket, a liner envelope for said carton fastened sol as to move with said pairs of opposed panels whereby when the carton is erected it results in a rectangular-shaped lined container, said envelope being constituted oi' a sheet teaches a novel methenvelope are flattened into a face to face relationship in the plane of the hinge lines ofthe top flaps by folding down the top flaps of said end panels into a substantially horizontal position.

2. A nat folded A carton having at least four parallel fold lines which define a pair oi' opposed pair of opposed end panels, comprising inner and outer panel sections, the oute overlying the inner and of flexible material folded and sealed along marsecured thereto at the free edge of the outer, defining vwith the inner panel section a free spaceor pocket, a liner envelope for said carton fastened so as to move with said pairs of opposed panels whereby when the carton is erected it results in a rectangular-shaped lined container, said envelope being constituted of a sheet oi' folded flexible materialiluid-tight vand fusible on at least the inner surface thereof sealed along marginal strips defining lateral fins at the edges oi' the strips and extending in the free spaces or pockets of said end panels, top closure flaps for said panels, each top flap including a guide section, said cut away at the top to denne a clearance surface cut back from the exposed fln of the envelope and having an edge at an angle to the medial line of said flap to form clearances for the lateral ilns whereby in the erected position of said carton guide section being and envelope the mouth portions of said envelope are flattened into a face to face relationship in the plane of the hinge lines of the top flaps by folding down the top ilaps of said end panels into a substantially horizontal position.

3. A flat container construction in knocked down form designed to be squared up into box form comprising an outer receptacle element and an inner receptacle element, the outer element vbeing a tubular carton having closing flaps attached to the walls thereof by hinge lines, said inner element being an open-ended flat bag made of flexible material impervious on the inside-at least and having lateral ilns extending in the plane of two opposed panels in the squared up condition of the carton, the walls of said flexible bag being adhesively secured to at least a plurality of the walls of the outer structure in such a manner as to cause the flexible bag to be pulled open upon squaring up th`e``vhole structure, the open end of the bag projecting beyond the hinge line thereof and unsecured to the closing flaps at the other end of the outer structure, and a pair of guide members secured to the top flaps of a pair of opposed panels, each of said guide members having an yedge extending between one of said flns and the corresponding panel of the bag and having another edge substantially at an angle of 45 to the aforesaid edge whereby in the erected position of said container the open end of the bag may be spread into a ilat tubular mouth lying parallel with the top edges of said hinge lines of the outer receptacle by folding down the top flaps to which said guide members are secured into a substantially horizontal position.

4. A container construction comprising an outer receptacle element and an inner receptacle of said end panels element, the outer element being tubular and having closing iiaps attached to the walls thereof by hinge lines, said inner element also tubular and closed at one end thereof having lateral fins in two opposed portions thereof and being made of flexible material which on the inside at least is heat-fusible, said inner element unsecured to the closing iiaps of said outer receptacle element and extending beyond the hinge lines of the outer element at least at the open end thereof, and a pair of guide members adhesively secured to the top flaps facing said lateral fins, said members having a longitudinal free edge extending into the interspace of said ns and the walls of said Ibag and having another folding edge substantially at an angle of 45 to the aforesaid edge whereby the fins of the said extending portions of the inner element Will be slideably engaged by said longitudinal edge of the guide member and the mouth portions of said inner element will be flattened by said folding edge into a face to face relationship in the plane of said hinge lines in the direction in which the lateral ilns are pointing when the top flaps bearing said guide members are folded in opposite directions.

5. A container in flat folded form capable of being erected comprising in combination an outer carton having opposed registering main panels, a medially folded bottom panel, and flaps at the upper end of said main panels, a medially scored end panel having iiaps at each end thereof connected to each side of one of said main panels and a glue nap connected to each lateral end of the other of said main panels and adhesively secured to said end panels to form a carton structure collapsed on the-medial fold lines of said end panels and of said bottom panel, an inner envelope constituted of flexible material fluid-tight and fusible at least on the inner face thereof folded over a medial line extending in the direction of the medial line of said bottom panel adhesively secured in place within the carton at least to a pair of oppositely-spaced panels thereof and having its open end projecting free of the carton for closure independent thereof, a sealed marginal strip at each lateral end of said envelope parallel with and extending beyond the medial fold lines of said end panels, said sealed marginal strips forming medial ns extending in the same directions in the plane of said end panels in the erected position of said carton, and extensions at the upper ends of the glue flaps of said main panel adhesively secured along a strip to the top flaps of said end panels, said extensions having a free longitudinal edge extending into the interspace of said fins and the end panels of said envelope and having another folding edge substantially at an angle of to the aforesaid edge whereby the fins of the projecting edge of said envelope will be slideably engaged by said longitudinal edge of the guide member and will be bent by said folding edge in the direction in which the said lateral fins are pointing when said top end aps are folded in opposite directions,

HARRY F. WATERS. 

